The long running saga of the departure of staff from the Scottish Kennel Club’s musselburgh office last year looks as though it has reached a conclusion in early July.

OUR DOGS learned that Anna Fox’s claim for alleged constructive dismissal had been settled without recourse to court action and following meetings with ACAS, her lawyers and representatives of the Scottish Kennel Club.

The settlement of £5000 had been agreed out of which she paid her legal costs.
The claim followed her leaving the Scottish Kennel Club in December last year along with three other office staff and her the resignation of her husband Allan Sim, who had been the SKC’s Secretary General for 26 years.

The exodus was prompted by an e-mail from a group of Executive Council members last September in which they criticised the ‘unhelpful’ attitude of the office staff. The SKC also lost its President as a result of the wrangling.

The trauma was further extended into two Special General Meetings earlier this year called for by SKC members which sought the resignation of the Convenor and Vice Convenor.

After a stormy AGM in late March at the first meeting of the newly elected Executive Council the Convenor of three years Robert Crawford did not seek re-election and the Vice Convenor Mrs Eleanor Bothwell was beaten in a vote for the office. The vice convenor is now Miss E M Christabel Holmes.

In a letter dated July 5 on SKC headed notepaper Ms Fox received a full and unreserved apology from the new Convenor Mrs Anne MacDonald who wrote, - ‘I refer to the e-mailed report issue to you which contained the statement “at present personal and general evidence exists of customers being met with disinterest at best, rudeness at worst and misinformation based on personal bias.” On behalf of the Club I confirm that the Club accepts that there is no evidence to support these allegations made and that it is accepted that they are totally unfounded.

‘Therefore I unreservedly tender the Club’s apology to you for these allegations and any distress which has been caused to you’.

The letter has brought to a close a turbulent and unhappy 12 months in the history of the Scottish Kennel Club.